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A short parable (story with a meaning) by Lord Okai, a SOON reader from Ghana

There was once a man called Kwaku, who used his time travelling to many different places. One day, when he was in another country, Kwaku passed some men who were speaking a language that he did not know. He greeted them in his own language, but they did not reply because none of them could understand what he said. A few minutes later, Kwaku heard a terrible noise. He followed the path to the place where the noise was coming from; there in front of him was a lion! It was going towards the men he had just seen, but they did not know it.

Kwaku did not call out to them because he knew they would not understand him. Instead he attacked the lion with his bare hands. As they fought, the lion bit Kwaku in his stomach. He was badly hurt, but was able somehow to kill the lion. Sadly Kwaku died too. He gave up his own life to save men who did not know him, people who were strangers to him.

This sad story reminds us of Jesus Christ who came as a stranger into the world because he loves us all. Jesus gave up his own life for each one of us, to take away the punishment for all our wrong doing. The Christians' holy book, the Bible, tells us: "God loved the world so very, very much that he gave his only son. Because he did that, everyone who believes in him will not lose his life, but will live for ever." *

God wants us to ask him to forgive all our wrongdoing. He promises to take away our shame and give us a new start, following him.'

* You can find these words in the part of the Bible called John, chapter 3 verse 16.